That's a Wrap!
Burke schools featured for creative cuisine
By Anne Marie Kyzer annemariek@thetruecitizen.com

A BES student pops a carrot into his mouth as the cameras roll. Contributed

Burke County students will soon be a model for others when it comes to eating healthy.

Next month, students will appear in a new video series that teaches methods for making healthy meals for children.

Burke County was one of only nine school systems nationwide chosen for the series, called Cooks for Kids.

The videos focus on healthy cooking techniques that can be put in practice at restaurants, schools and in homes. They are produced by the National Food Service Management Institute (NFSMI).

Burke County's Blakeney Elementary School will appear in the episode entitled "Wrap it up with Wraps."

A film crew spent the day at BES shooting footage of school nutrition employees preparing a variety of wraps for the students.

The episode may be viewed online at www.nfsmi.org on May 9 and will eventually ap- pear on Georgia Public Broadcasting and the Food Network.

Amy Casteel, who works on the Cooks for Kids project for NFSMI, said Burke County was selected because of the creative ways they are incorporating healthy items into their menus, such as wraps.

She said the system also prepares most of its dishes from scratch, as opposed to buying prepared food items.

School nutrition director Donna Martin was more than happy to show them the changes being made in the schools to promote healthier eating habits.

She said they began offering the wraps several years ago to offer more creative cold food items.

"When the students said they loved them, we started offering more of a variety," she explained.

Other healthy changes to the menu include whole wheat rolls and pizza crusts, 2-percent milk and fat-free salad dressings. The schools are also incorporating more fresh fruits and vegetables.

"The reality is that our children are facing a health crisis with the rise in childhood obesity," Martin said, explaining the shift to healthier menus. "If we are going to turn these negative trends around, we must take action to improve the school nutrition environment ... Schools are the perfect place to create an environment for children where healthy lifestyles are consistently reinforced and easy to learn and adopt.

WRAP IT UP

Burke County nutrition staff uses whole wheat, sun-dried tomato and spinach wraps to offer students the following selection:

• Chicken fajita • Turkey & cheese with ranch dressing • Peanut butter & banana rollup • Chicken salad • Tuna salad • Ham & cheese roll-up with a pickle spear